"Aisha Alabbar Gallery remains one of the leading spaces focused on female Emirati artists in the UAE, so it made perfect sense that this year’s booth brought together four Emirati artists alongside Iranian sculptor Armin Najib.
One of the first artists catching attention was Layla Juma, whose architectural background clearly shapes her visual language through geometry, and layered compositions. Interestingly though, her paper-based works shown at Art Dubai felt very different from her earlier style — something even the gallery representative pointed out herself.
Alongside her comes Alia Hussain Lootah, whose practice moves between visual art, workshops, and creative education for children, and Najat Makki — one of the pioneering figures of Emirati contemporary art and among the first Emirati women to study fine art abroad in Cairo.
And finally there is Armin Najib, whose works combine metal, magnets, and unusual material constructions into futuristic-looking sculptural pieces — and yes, the interview with him is actually coming soon."